


Elusive

by Wildebunny_the_Eternal



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Demons, Horror, Original Character-centric, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-09
Updated: 2021-02-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 21:34:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23553868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildebunny_the_Eternal/pseuds/Wildebunny_the_Eternal
Summary: Lily is a demon whose only goal in life is to quench her endless hunger. And her form is just a disguise: she's not an adorable bunny at all. The hunger is all that matters. What she needs to consume remains elusive.
Relationships: Judy Hopps/Nick Wilde
Kudos: 11





	1. An Inadvertent Revelation

Everything happened so fast. At first, it began with an unpleasant sensation that Lily could ignore since that was routine. She consumed emotions from mammals around her subconsciously, including ones that were harmful. Without any warning, it blossomed into immobilizing agony that was more painful than anything she ever experienced before. Not even her memories from the time spent in the pit of eternal flame were this horrible. Someone was approaching with heavy stomps against the floor. A loud tremor echoed from a forceful door opening. An angry rabbit easily lifted her up into the air and pushed her against the wall.

The bunny was babbling but Lily couldn't focus on a single word. "– demon?" Tears fell down the rabbit's eyes. "I try so hard to make my parents happy but it's never good enough and it's all because of you!"

Fear and terror coursed through her yet at the same time she was actually able to move her body since the sensations became less painful. "How did you know?" she said in shock. Her disguise was flawless and there was no way a mere mortal could know. At the same time, she failed to recall the bunny's name. The bunny's ragged clothing didn't jog her memory at all. "What is your name?"

"Gabrielle. Wait, you're a demon? Can you do anything cool?" She blinked several times. Her fury melted away. A hint of pleasant emotions followed – something that she had been searching for ever since she decided to stay at this school.

 _That rabbit knew nothing and she gave away her secret!_ The taste soon went away but she had to know more. Was Gabrielle a threat or an ally? "Say, why don't you come over to my place?"

"Where do you live?"

Lily gave the address to her mansion that she lived in for two years. It was such a relief that Gabrielle agreed to meet during the weekend else she would've needed to take drastic actions. The weekend was still a long two days away, but it was unrealistic for her to expect anything better. Until that time, she had to vigilant for any signs of betrayal. Oh sure, she didn't request Gabrielle to keep her secret, but it was implied. If she made a fuss, it was more likely that Gabrielle would blab. Mortals were cruel that way, but she needed them to survive or so she thought.

For the remainder of the day, she kept a watchful eye on Gabrielle. She wanted to hear every word Gabrielle ever said in case she tried to spread her secret. This would give her time to flee if it was necessary. If she could follow her home without causing suspicion, she would've done that too. Gabrielle's parents were a potential liability, but there was no safe way to observe them. Someone was bound to catch her and that outweighed the risk.

Society had to believe she was just a hardworking student and that would shatter that image. There was homework to do anyway to maintain her illusion. Everything had to be perfect since that was the role she chose to play.

Despite the constant fear she felt, nothing happened so far. Gabrielle didn't reveal her secret or so it seemed. The only unknowns were what happened at her house. Tomorrow, they were due for a meeting.

* * *

Her heart thumped with anticipation since Gabrielle was going to visit today. Would she experience the same feeling as before? Gabrielle was going to arrive within the hour so she waited outside by the gate. Nevertheless, it was a terrifying prospect. What if Gabrielle brought others? What if Gabrielle decided to call the authorities?

"Hi!" Gabrielle greeted her with a wide smile. She wore her finest outfit it seemed. The dress was free of blemishes and signs of wear and tear.

Lily didn't expect the taste of emotions to change so fast. She fell to the ground after consuming something so revolting. From what she could see, Gabrielle wanted to impress her and didn't wish her harm.

"Are you okay?" As soon as Gabrielle said something else, the taste became wonderful.

"I'm fine."

"I was worried that it was a prank. That no one I knew could be so rich and call me friend."

The incoming emotions caused her pain like a dagger stabbing her heart. She clutched her chest in agony.

"Do I need to call the hospital? I'm worried about you."

"Sorry – trust me, I'm fine. I'm a demon – remember? Let's go inside." She hoped that her words were true. The last time someone made her visit a hospital – she escaped before she arrived since the pain was too much to bear. It was like the ambulance was carrying her towards her demise. Unfortunately, the authorities wouldn't stop trying to find her after she clawed her way out of the vehicle so she had to develop a new identity and a new form. Relocating to a new place was no easy task.

Gabrielle eagerly explored the massive mansion. The taste of her emotions became normal – it was back to nothing. That doe was having a great time – by all appearances, but to her, it wasn't anything special. She tried to act like something called a "friend" but it made no difference. The wonderful sensation didn't return. At least, it wasn't painful.

The rabbit took joy in all the material wonders that were in the house. For every game they played together, she had to teach all the rules. At times, it was a minor distraction to the unending hunger she always felt. Happy mortals were less likely to be a threat and that gave her solace.

"I've been wanting to ask: What can you do as a demon? How are you different?"

"Tell me your favorite animal."

"I think tigers are cool."

Lily shifted from a rabbit to a tiger. She gave a subtle roar to test her voice. It came out much louder than she intended. "I'm sorry if I scared you."

"Wow! You're amazing! You can turn into anything?"

The wonderful taste was present again. She figured there was a pattern but she didn't know what. If only she could replicate this.

"I think so," Lily replied.

"Where are your parents?"

"They're busy at work." It didn't make sense, why did the taste become unbearable? "Sorry, excuse me." She rushed to the bathroom and hurled.

Of course, that rabbit followed her – but the taste changed along the way. The rabbit waited outside. "If you need anything, just ask."

This was torment – moments of bliss followed by periods of extreme agony. What made it worse was that she didn't understand why.

"Can you come back later?" Lily was afraid of the physical toll this might take on her body. Never before had she failed to shift forms. It seemed as if she was flirting with death itself. Her thoughts drifted towards the past when her body burned. The only thing she could do back then was watch the world from a crystal globe. "I'm sorry."

"Most certainly."

Lily heard Gabrielle leave.

It took some time before she felt comfortable enough to leave the bathroom. She felt weak in addition to being hungry. No one could help her or understand her plight and it was hers to bear alone. A question remained on her mind: what should she do about Gabrielle? The bunny was a potential food source, but also a threat. And she let her walk away…


	2. Doubt

On Monday, Gabrielle volunteered to bring Lily her homework and assignments since Lily missed school. She walked to her friend's mansion. It took several minutes of waiting patiently after ringing the doorbell before a lion with piercing blue eyes greeted her. The resemblance to her friend was uncanny. She didn't dare to ask, but she assumed the lion was her father.

"What brings you here?"

"I have Lily's assignments and homework. How is she?"

"She's sleeping. I'll let her know you dropped by."

This became routine – she brought school assignments and homework to Lily ever single day without a single chance of seeing her friend. All she knew was her friend had a fever. It wasn't until Saturday that her friend asked her to come over. She eagerly embraced the chance to visit.

"How are you?" Gabrielle asked.

"Fine!" Lily exclaimed. "All better." She was more energetic than usual. "What do you want to do today? It's just us again. My parents are working."

Even though it was the second time she was here, the place didn't lose its grandeur. The mansion contained multiple rooms filled with varieties of things. If there was something that she thought of, her friend likely had it. There were still rooms filled with games that she didn't even experience yet. The hours flew by without any adult supervision.

A phone call from her mother all too quick to remind them what time it was. "When are you coming home?"

"I'll call you back, okay? I'm having tons of fun," Gabrielle hung up as they were in the middle of a game.

Lily eyed the clock. "Why don't we eat dinner?"

They put the game on hold. Lily led her to a room that contained a wide variety of microwave dinners. There were so many fridges that it reminded her of the shopping aisle.

"Take your pick."

Her thoughts drifted to how this was a waste of money. "It's fine, I can go home instead."

"It's no trouble at all. I insist."

"Isn't there anything cheaper?"

"Sure, this way."

They entered another room. This one contained a variety of raw produce. There was so much variety that it was like walking into a store. Gabrielle still held some reservations, but it was like she could complain more without being annoying.

She took some nearby hay from the pile. Lily took some nearby onions. They walked out of the room into another that contained a vacant table. Her friend was still carrying onions and that was a problem. At first, she thought that her friend was doing something else with them so she remained silent.

"Wait, you're going to eat that?" She pointed to the onion.

"Sure? I haven't tried it yet."

Gabrielle knocked the onion out of her friend's paws. "Are you crazy? They are poisonous."

"Really?" Lily replied incredulously. She went to pick up the onion.

"Do you want to go to the hospital?" Gabrielle forcibly stopped her, unsure of her intentions.

"Of course not." Lily shivered a bit. "I'll put this back and pick up something else."

It didn't take long for her friend to come back carrying an avocado.

"You've got to be kidding me." Gabrielle groaned. "Are you for real right now? No, we can't eat avocados either. What do you usually eat?"

"Well, normally I just pick something that I want." Lily's piercing blue eyes didn't display any intent of deception.

"Alright, let me come with you this time." Gabrielle was fuming. She thought that her friend was mocking her and treating this as if it was a game. It had to be intentional that her friend picked out two different poisonous vegetables.

"Please don't be angry."

"Let's go." She followed the clueless rabbit for her safety. Lily grimaced in pain along the way. "Is there something wrong?"

"Everything is fine." This time Lily picked some tomatoes which thankfully weren't poisonous.

They went back to the table to eat. She wondered if her friend was either stupid or intentionally deceiving her. Neither of which seemed like a good prospect. If her friend was lying to her, was she actually a friend? If her friend was actually that stupid, what if her friend died while she was away? Was it even logical that an A-plus student could lack basic knowledge? Wouldn't her parents have taught her anything? Her friend seemed to suffer from health problems too, so did it already happen?

By the time her mother called again, she finished eating. "Are you coming home soon?"

"Give me a minute, I'll call you back." Gabrielle hung up. She wanted to stay for the night out of concern for her friend. It was also dark outside and she feared walking home alone. "Is it okay if I slept over?" Her ears drooped as she feared rejection.

"More than fine!" Lily gave her friend an enthusiastic hug. "There's spare beds and everything."

Gabrielle called her mother again. "I want to stay here for the night."

"I want to talk to her parents."

Lily hissed before taking the cell phone. She ran down a hallway before shifting into a tiger. "I'm aware of the situation and I approve. It's no trouble at all."

Gabrielle chased after her friend. Her friend unexpectedly dropped the cell phone before collapsing on the ground. "Sorry about that, Mom. I accidentally dropped the phone. See you tomorrow." She hung up then attended to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"I think so." Lily groaned from the pain. "I didn't expect your mother to ask that. Sorry about deceiving your mother, I thought that she would've prevented you from coming here in the future." She suddenly gave off a terrifying wail then twitched on the ground.

Gabrielle tried to comfort her friend by massaging her. She didn't know how much she was helping since she was so little by comparison. There were some doubts on her mind – she was afraid to ask if her friend was the male lion she saw during the week and if her friend was actually sick. Her concerns about her friend could wait once her friend was better. They were on the floor for so long that she lost track of time.

"I can move now – I think." Lily tried to stand only to find that the pain was too much to bear. She assumed a four-legged stance for walking. "I can't even change my form."

"What happened?"

"I don't know."

"You really have no idea? I'm worried about you. Can't your parents help?"

Lily shook her head. She suddenly screamed. Her body shivered uncontrollably. "I feast on emotion… but it's not really a choice. Even if it hurts, I'm driven by instinct to consume. Some emotions cause me pain but I'm not even sure what. I thought I was going to die just now, but I wanted you to know."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I don't think so, but I feel slightly better now." Her entire body was still shivering. "The agony remains but I don't feel like I'm being hurt. It's like a wound." The shivering stopped.

"And when did you start feeling this way?"

"Shortly after I started talking, I think? I just didn't want to die without you knowing. At the same time, I don't know what happened. I was afraid that you might run away. Thank you for not leaving me."

"I won't leave you over something like this," Gabrielle reassured her friend. "So, is it possible that you eat your own emotions?"

"Maybe? Never entertained the possibility before this day. Anyway, I want to go to bed, care to help me walk?"

* * *

Gabrielle didn't think this was how it was going to go. Her friend wanted them to sleep in the same bed since that made her feel better. Now, her friend was snoring loudly by her side. She wondered if she should sleep in another room to avoid the thundering snores. There had to be some way for her to sleep without running away from the sound. All her attempts proved in vain.

She left the bed they were sharing and walked past several rooms before picking one to sleep in. There was enough distance for her to escape the sound.


	3. Suspicions

"Gabrielle!"

A roar shook her from her slumber. She rubbed her eyes to adjust to the sunlight in the room. "Yes?" she yelled back.

Her friend rushed to her room. She panted for breath in her tiger form. "Oh, thank goodness. I thought you disappeared."

"What? Is this place haunted?" Gabrielle quipped sarcastically. Her friend was a demon after all.

"Of course not! Don't be silly. I was just scared that something might've happened to you." Her friend shifted back into a rabbit.

"Yeah, your extremely loud snores prevented me from sleeping. How are you feeling?"

"Much better. I just regained my ability to shift forms."

_Hypothesis: certain emotions give her power._

They headed downstairs for breakfast. This time Gabrielle took careful note of what's lying around. There were several types of produce poisonous to rabbits. The microwave dinner section was no better as she closely examined every single one. There was a distinct lack of predator dishes in this wing of the mansion.

"Can you tell me why you have so much poisonous food lying around?" Gabrielle asked.

"Oh, I just ordered anything and everything I can. So uh, which ones are poisonous?" Lily scratched her head shyly. "The last thing I want is to visit a hospital, again." Her friend shivered.

"Shouldn't your parents teach you that and why did they let you?" Gabrielle felt uneasy at what she just learned.

"They favor different forms so that doesn't help at all."

"So, they let you choose a form where you can unintentionally poison yourself? Can I talk to them?" Gabrielle struggled to contain her rage. Her parents were so irresponsible. "Which forms do you know best?"

She thought she heard Lily hiss in pain. "It's not a big deal. Why don't you just tell me which things I can't eat? There's no need to get my parents involved."

Gabrielle wanted to argue but she was also aware that doing so would likely harm her friend. It also didn't escape her notice that Lily avoided answering one of her questions. "Fine, but they should be." She could teach Lily about rabbits and confront her parents when an opportunity arose.

They marched back across the refrigerated shelves of microwave dinners. Gabrielle pointed out a good twenty percent which was harmful to rabbits. They moved everything harmful to one side. After that, she did the same with the produce room.

Once again, she picked out something cheap for herself to eat while her friend picked something at random. She glanced at the clock. It was already noon. So much for eating breakfast.

"So, uh when do your parents get home?" Gabrielle asked.

"Probably sometime on Monday."

She wondered if it was her imagination seeing Lily display a subtle sign of discomfort. If she pressed Lily one that it would likely cause actual discomfort. Emotions were tricky that way. "I should head home now before we lose track of time again. See you tomorrow at school."

"Sure thing."

On the way home, she had a lot to think about. What were Lily's parents doing and why was she given so much freedom? It made her slightly less upset at her own parents' overbearing methods. Surely her mother was going to chew her out for abruptly ending the call yesterday.

If her parents knew that her friend was a demon, they would most certainly end their friendship just like they broke everything else in the past. The fear of parental objection led her to shy away from trying to make friends. No one was good enough for their standards until she met Lily and once they learned more about Lily, they would surely object.

"I'm home!" she declared when she opened the door.

It wasn't a surprise when they fussed about her safety. They had a long lecture that lasted over ten minutes prepared. She didn't even have a chance to speak until they finished.

"Relax, will you? Nothing's going to happen. She's rich, she gets good grades. We have fun together." Gabrielle avoided describing her friend as smart due to what she recently learned. Her parents thought that friends had to be rich and they also had to be useful as if poverty or stupidity was something contagious. The tedium of life resumed as she focused on her studies.

* * *

Her friend was sick on Monday again. She thought it was her fault for missing something poisonous. Her conscience distracted her throughout the day. Once again, she was delivering assignments to her friend's mansion. This gave her a sense of déjà vu. Just like last week, a lion with piercing blue eyes stepped out to greet her after several minutes passed.

"What brings you here?" the lion said.

"I'm here to drop off her assignments and homework. Can I see her?" She passed the stack of papers to the lion.

"She's sleeping. I'll let her know you dropped by."

"Say, I'm curious, what's your relationship with Lily?" Gabrielle asked. She assumed the lion was her father, but confirmation would be best. The mere thought of Lily's parents made her angry.

"I'm her father."

This was her chance to ask the burning question on her mind as best as she could. "Why is your daughter so clueless on what's harmful to a rabbit? She could die of food poisoning. At the age of fourteen, she should know better."

It happened so fast. The lion picked her up and threw her away. She had never been so terrified in her life as she collided with a rose bush. Her heart was beating erratically as she caught her breath. On pure instinct, she tried to run away, but that only made it worse. The pain made her stop. A loud slam echoed as the lion slammed the doors shut without any concern.

She had to slowly untangle her clothes and body from the thorns. After what seemed like forever, she was finally free. Her overly protective parents were sure to ask what happened and she needed an explanation.

Every step took made her wince from the pain. Once she was a safe distance away, she called Lily, desperately hoping that her friend would answer. She constantly watched her back as if the lion would come and attack her. All her calls went to voice mail. At least, no one sinister responded. In the end, she decided against leaving a voice mail, fearing that it might lead to her friend being in trouble.

Eventually, her distracted walking led her past her house. She opened the door to her house as quietly as possible. The last thing she wanted was to lie to her parents about what happened. Unfortunately, fate wasn't so kind.

"Are you okay? What happened?" Her mother's voice was full of concern.

She had to lie because telling the truth was worse. "I did well on a quiz today so I hopped on my way back from school and landed in a rose bush."

"Does it still hurt?" Her mother sniffed her fur even licked several places.

"I'm not a kit anymore, Mom. Stop it before Dad gets the same idea." She wanted to cry on the inside but refused to break down in front of her parents. If she was lucky, her father wouldn't even find out. "Let me change my clothes. Everything's fine."

There was so much on her mind when she arrived in her room. The first thing she had to do was give the illusion that everything was okay in case her parents peeked in her room, then she could ponder about the events that transpired earlier. With a change of clothes, a brush of her fur, her outward appearance was good enough to prevent probing questions. Once again, she tried calling her friend only for no one to answer.

Her mind replayed the events of the day. The lion reacted violently, but was her friend in any danger? One sketchy explanation was that the father was overtly prideful and what she did, insulted him. It didn't help that her friend didn't pick up any calls. She was safe in her house, but was her friend safe? and what was the best course of action? Thoughts about calling the authorities did cross her mind, but "when seconds matter, the police are minutes away" shot that down. The police could easily make the situation worse too.

What she decided was hope that her friend showed up to school tomorrow, then offer her a place to stay. That seemed like the best course of action to her. Meanwhile, she called every thirty minutes without success.


	4. Alert

Gabrielle sat in the cafeteria during lunch to eat and collect her thoughts. If anything could go wrong, they did go wrong. She had such trouble sleeping yesterday that she raided the cabinet for sleeping pills. Her parents thankfully were none the wiser to what happened. In the morning, she learned that Lily was absent yet again. None of her phone calls to Lily had any success which distracted her during class greatly. She wondered what she should do next.

Her ears honed in on a nearby conversation. "– so has that fox eaten the bunny yet?"

"Have you no shame?"

"Oh, come on! You sleep near them, don't you? Now, spill!"

"La la la – I can't hear you."

"You're no fun."

Gabrielle surmised they must be talking about Judy Hopps and for some reason she was in Bunnyburrow. Approaching her would be a lot safer than contacting the authorities. It wasn't the same as calling the police.

She approached the gossiping girls. "Excuse me, is there any way I can meet Judy Hopps?" The hero of Zootopia couldn't make things worse.

"Who are you and what have you done with Gabrielle?"

Gabrielle struggled to think of an answer. The last thing she wanted was to piss off Kelly Hopps.

"Sure, why not."

"Hey – how come I can't?" her friend said.

"I'm sure you know the answer to that one. Don't make me remind you about the Easter Egg Incident."

"Wait, I can?" Gabrielle asked with surprise.

"The ability to listen doesn't correlate well with G.P.A. Further research is required. Of course, you can."

"Thank you, Kelly." Gabrielle's ears flushed with embarrassment.

"The name's Delilah. Meet me after school." Delilah smirked.

The bell signaled the beginning of the next period.

"See you in class."

Gabrielle wolfed down her food within the next minute then rushed off to class.

* * *

It was finally the end of a very long school day. None of the calls she made to Lily during that time were successful. She could pursue her objective of saving Lily. Delilah was waiting for her right outside of class.

"I'm surprised you actually showed up."

"Why is that?"

"Oh, I assumed that you would've backed out because of your parents' rules. Anyway, come on." Delilah hummed with each step.

Gabrielle followed Delilah towards her home. The thought of meeting such a large family was terrifying. Not to mention that they weren't really friends. Delilah wasn't asking her anything which was of some relief. The less she had to talk, the less chance of making a complete fool of herself.

They arrived at the farm where Delilah lived. Delilah wasted no time pointing out the names of everyone along with details of what they're like.

"Sorry, I'm not that good with names," Gabrielle said. "It's very likely that I won't remember most of them."

"You'll get used to it. I wonder where Nick and Judy are right now." Delilah led her around the farm. The sooner she found Nick and Judy, the better. It pained her to see everyone around her so carefree as if she was missing out on life. "This way."

Nick and Judy were sitting on lawn chairs, gazing at the sky.

"Hey, Judy, I've someone from school that wants to see you. This is Gabrielle," Delilah said.

Gabrielle waved shyly. "So, I heard about how you both saved Zootopia."

"Autographs will be ten dollars," Nick said.

"Really, Nick?" Judy glared at her partner.

"What? Can't blame me for trying. Do you want an account of my heroics instead?"

"Don't you ever get tired of that?" Delilah said.

"Sure!" Gabrielle said with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. If she was lucky, Delilah would leave and that would give her the chance to talk to Nick or Judy alone. "I always wondered if the news was accurate."

"If you wanted accuracy, you wouldn't be asking him."

"I'll catch up with you later." Delilah walked away.

Nick began his story and Gabrielle hesitated to interrupt even though she didn't care for the story at all. She had to feign interest so that Nick and Judy might help her later. It certainly helped that Nick clearly exaggerated several parts to humorous effect.

Gabrielle looked at her surroundings. They were alone. "I don't suppose you two can help me with something? So, on Monday, Lily's father tossed me into a rosebush when I brought her assignments and homework since she was sick. Since then, I called Lily without any success. I want to know if she's okay," she blurted everything out at rapid-fire pace.

"And even on vacation mammals still ask you to work. What's the point of time off again?" Nick grumbled.

Gabrielle's cell phone rang. "Oh, it's my mother… I'll deal with her later." She put her cell phone on silent.

"Nick, this is serious." Judy glared.

"And you didn't call the police because?" Nick quipped.

"I thought they might make the situation worse. I just want my friend safe. It doesn't matter that her father tossed me in a rose bush."

"We can check on her," Judy said. "Everything's going to be fine."

"And you still haven't learned about making promises you can't keep," Nick chided. "I do have a few questions before we set off."

"Now's not the time!" Judy shouted.

"It's been a day, Carrots. More information would be helpful compared to charging in blindly."

Nick asked enough questions to paint a clear picture of what they're dealing with. It was one lion that lives in a luxurious mansion. That seemed to have an emotional outburst. With that in mind, they decided that they didn't need backup for this case. A casual visit as concerned neighbors should be sufficient. This would allow them to keep a low profile at the same time.

They arrived at the mansion after thirty minutes of walking.

"There, that's where I landed." Gabrielle pointed at the rose bush. The scene remained untouched for all this time.

"Well, let's greet this charming lion," Nick said.

Judy rang the doorbell. They waited patiently for someone to answer. Nick opened the door after he was tired of waiting. "What do you know? It's unlocked."

They searched the entire first floor. Every room contained a variety of different items, some of them were quite exotic.

"Oh wow, the entire Wonderfox series." Nick began flipping through a comic.

"Seriously? Nick. We have a job to do here. Put that back."

"Killjoy." Nick reluctantly complied.

They searched the second floor next. It contained a variety of food.

"Only three mammals live here?" Judy asked. "There's no way they can eat all this."

"I think so. How come there isn't any food for predators? A lion lives here after all." Gabrielle assumed that the mansion had everything before. "I've also never seen her mother." A sinking feeling rose in her stomach. "What if we don't find Lily? Did I make a mistake by not calling the police?"

"Don't give up yet." Judy placed a reassuring paw on Gabrielle's shoulder. "We'll find her."

The third floor was last. An array of empty bedrooms greeted them. There weren't any signs of use.

"Just die already." Gabrielle heard Lily shouting.

They ran in the voice's direction. A bunny wearing earbuds obsessed with her game greeted them. She gave no indication that she was even aware of their presence even when they were behind her.

"Well, this is anti-climactic," Nick said.

"Uhm, hello?" Judy tapped Lily's shoulder.

Lily jumped out of her chair in surprise. She gasped as she turned around to face the newcomers. "What – what are you doing here? I wasn't expecting visitors."

"I thought you might be in danger. Are you okay? Your father tossed me into a rose bush, yesterday. Since then, you've never answered my calls," Gabrielle said. "So, I asked Nick and Judy for help."

"Oh… I threw that cellphone against the wall and it happened to break. Really, my father did that? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Are you safe?"

"No need for you to worry. I'm touched that you care so much about me." Lily turned towards the police officers. "Sorry for the trouble my friend caused. Is there anything else you need?"

"Do you know when your father will be home?"

Lily shook her head. "His schedule is erratic."

They left Lily alone. It wasn't what Gabrielle expected at all, but at least her friend was safe.

"Sorry," Gabrielle apologized. "I wasted your time."

"Well, now that this is over. I have a comic to check out." Nick grinned.

"Really, Nick?" Judy sighed.

"It's not like she's going to notice." Nick turned towards Gabrielle. "Say, I've been wondering, how many missed calls has your cell phone racked up by now?"

"Oh no!" Gabrielle shouted. "Thanks for everything, bye!" She ran towards home.


	5. Awry

The problem with plans was they always had the chance to go wrong. Lily's plans went wrong in oh so many ways. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but that still didn't justify the actions she took back then. At first, she thought there was no need to expose herself to the world anymore since she found a way to live. Now, her body felt as if it was on fire just like her memories from back in the pit. A sensation that refused to fade ever since her encounter with the police. It took every ounce of effort to maintain the mask. Crying might draw suspicion and thus she forbade herself from doing so.

She went to school, hoping that Gabrielle could soothe the pain she felt. The burning sensation was driving her mad. Her friend's emotions tasted empty. Her resolve was fading, she needed to cry but lacked a plausible reason to do so. The bully in class could provide an excellent cover. After a brief contemplation of her plan, she swung with all her might at the fox's nose. It didn't matter they were in the middle of the class. The fox reacted as anticipated by twisting her arm. Only then did she let her tears flow. No one would judge her for crying in pain.

"What did you do this time?" Miss Hornhoof said.

"Nothing. Honest," George stammered. He looked at the gazelle towering over him. "She punched me right out of the blue!"

The incoming emotions that tasted like a forbidden delicacy were a much welcome distraction from the physical pain.

"I'm escorting you both to the principal's office." The teacher turned towards the class. "I'll be back in a few minutes." They walked towards the principal's office. The teacher held Lily's paw as they walked to support her. "Look, whatever he's done, it doesn't excuse what you did just now."

"I didn't do anything!" George complained. "Don't believe this lying bitch."

"Not another word."

The taste was so sweet amidst the pain she was feeling. She wanted more to soothe the agony. Her tears kept flowing since she didn't need to maintain a mask.

"Can you drop the act, you crybaby?" George said. "I didn't even hurt you badly."

"Badly enough that she punched you in the middle of class."

"Oh, what's the point. It's not like you teachers ever care about the truth."

The emotions were coming in an even greater quantity. She savored each and every bit. The quality of emotions was improving. They tasted better and felt more fulfilling compared to ones from mere moments before. If only this could go on forever. It dulled her hunger and made her happy at the same time. Her body was on autopilot so the tears kept flowing without a second thought. They eventually arrived at the principal's office.

"George here bullied Lily in the past, and she decided to enact revenge in the middle of class," Miss Hornhoof said.

"Alright, Lily, what happened?" the principal said.

She needed to tell a plausible lie. "He beat me up sometimes on the way to school. I became scared of him that I lied about being sick. Then I felt guilty about skipping school, so I decided to chance coming to school again regardless. It was only by some miracle that I arrived at school unharmed."

"Liar!" George used his bloody paws to grab Lily by the scruff.

The leopard was quick to pin the fox down and free her. "Enough! Continue, Lily."

"Thank you, Mr. Swift. I thought it would be best if I punched him right in the middle of class. Not like teachers care about bullying otherwise. What's a rabbit supposed to do against a fox? Maybe Tamerdale was right. At least, the prey there aren't at the mercy of predators."

"Do you have anything to say for yourself? The way you act puts us all in danger. If someone like Bellwether comes along again, we might not be so lucky." Swift glared at the offending fox.

His ears splayed backward. "I won't do it again."

"Who do you think will believe that?"

"No one." George shook his head sadly.

"I'll be informing your parents about this." The principal turned towards Lily. "Lily, you may go back to class. I'll overlook your offense this time, but don't do it again."

Lily wanted to stay so she could feed off George, but she didn't want to push her luck. "Thank you." She bowed before leaving the office. This went better than expected – she alleviated her hunger and ate something truly unique. She skipped on the way back and hummed to herself.

Her classmates radiated delicious emotions as she walked to an empty desk at the back of the class. They were overly curious and concerned for her. The teacher was in the middle of explaining scientific procedures. There was so much for her to eat that the teacher's voice became distant. If it was important, she could care about it later.

By the end of the day, for the first time in her life, she didn't feel hungry. It was as if she had found paradise. There was a seemingly never-ending flow of delicious emotions for her to consume. She headed home reluctantly since school was over.

It was a much welcome surprise that when she arrived the next day, the stream of satisfying emotions continued. Her classmates' focus wasn't on her anymore, so she didn't know why it was such a feast. There was a pattern for sure, but it still eluded her. She was still fearful that it might suddenly end inexplicably. Mammals ceased to endlessly obsess over her, yet they still radiated emotions that she desired.

By Friday, she was confident enough that her quest for sustenance was over. There was something special about this place. It was enough for her to survive, and that was good enough. She could just live for pleasure instead of her endless quest for food. Life was good.


	6. Truth

It was such an unusual and unexpected sight that her friend would punch the bully in the middle of class. What happened next was hardly a surprise, the bully retaliated before the teacher regained control of the class. There was nothing she could think of that would explain her friend's behavior.

Gabrielle could hardly concentrate on in class due to what happened earlier. It was even more absurd when her friend returned, telling tales of her heroic feat. A thought wormed into her mind that her friend was lying. There was no way that her friend had problems with the bully last week.

She couldn't exactly accuse her friend of lying – and these very thoughts would be harmful to her friend. Her doubts had to go away without confronting her friend. It wasn't like she could ask the teachers since they wouldn't tell her and asking the bully what happened was out of the question since he would lie.

In the end, she settled on observing the bully and hoping that it would quell her doubts. It was only on Friday that she had a chance to observe George. He wasn't present for the rest of the day nor the following day.

George and Lily didn't interact at all during class. Gabrielle couldn't detect any animosity between the two. During recess, she secretly followed George around to keep tabs on him. If she knew the truth, it would put her mind at ease.

Things didn't look good when she stalked George around the school. Based on what he did, he told his friends one version where he was innocent, and readily admitted to guilt in the presence of teachers. It was impossible to ascertain the truth from this alone. She did learn that his parents planned to transfer him to another school the following week. Her doubts remained by the end of the day, and she still hadn't decided on what she would do if Lily wanted to meet with her.

Lily called later that day. Gabrielle lied about having to study since she didn't want to meet her. It wasn't a lie since studying was important after all. Nevertheless, she felt guilty about lying. She couldn't tell the truth because it might harm her friend.

* * *

On Monday, Gabrielle was bringing class assignments to Lily once again. It was almost like déjà vu. For some unknown reason, Lily couldn't attend school – something hurt her too much whenever she got close.

Gabrielle received a text when she was right outside the mansion. "I had to run away since something painful was approaching."

"Where are you now?"

Lily gave her the address to the Sunflower Mall.

"I'll meet you there."

It wasn't that far from where she was currently, only twenty minutes away. She set off for the mall with the assignments in tow. However, once she got close, Lily sent her another text, "For some reason, I think you are hurting me. I had to run away again."

This was ironic since she didn't want to hurt her friend. She had a good idea of why her friend was suffering – as a demon that ate emotions, doubt must be harmful. "I think I know why," Gabrielle texted back.

"Tell me."

"You know on Wednesday – I kept wondering if you lied about what happened and why did you punch George?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"It was convenient and I had to think of a plausible story."

Gabrielle was furious that her friend acted this way. Never mind the fact that her friend ignored one of her questions. "That's unacceptable. His parents even transferred him to another school."

"You seem angry, what do you want?"

"What do you THINK I want?"

"Just tell me what you want me to do to earn your forgiveness."

Gabrielle turned off her phone. It was as if her friend didn't even care about what she did if it wasn't for her being angry. She went home to focus on homework. This would take her mind off what happened recently.

* * *

There were over a hundred messages on her phone from her friend pleading for forgiveness. Her friend even pledged to do whatever it takes to make things right, without any suggestions of her own. From what Gabrielle gathered, her friend didn't think she did anything wrong. The only reason Lily seemed to care was that she was angry.

"Explain to George's parents that he wasn't at fault," she texted.

"Thank you for giving me a chance."

Gabrielle left for school soon after. Given their exchange earlier, it was certainly surprising to see Lily in class today. Gabrielle thought that her presence created a repelling field that Lily couldn't approach. It certainly seemed like it yesterday. She sat at the desk beside Lily so she could talk to her. "Did you apologize already?" she said icily.

"I'll do it later. They were busy."

Gabrielle narrowed her eyes.

It was unexpected when Lily dropped to her knees and begged in the middle of class. There were also tears in her eyes. "Please forgive me."

"You don't understand why I'm angry, do you? You also don't see anything wrong with what you did. Not only that, but you also couldn't even make amends correctly."

Lily nodded. "Please…"

"Lily, get back into your seat," Miss Hornhoof said.

Lily bolted out of class without any warning at all. Gabrielle knew why since her friend was a demon with unique needs. Although, she wasn't sure what she should do in this scenario since her very presence would probably cause Lily pain. If she wasn't going to help Lily, would anyone even be able to?

The teacher chased after her.

Gabrielle followed after the teacher, wanting to see what happened herself. They didn't see a rabbit anywhere, but there was a cheetah on the floor in the middle of the hallway. Miss Hornhoof turned around to find Gabrielle. "Go notify the principal. I'm going to stay here to make sure this cheetah doesn't go anywhere. Tell them that about Lily too."

The teacher actually gave her permission to use the intercom. Gabrielle froze a bit when she heard the principal's voice after pressing the button. "Hello?"

The entire message came out wrong. She stuttered every single word. "There's an unknown cheetah in the middle of the hallway, and Lily ran out of class moments before. Send help."

She went back outside to inform the teacher. "Help is on the way." It was possible that her presence might be harming Lily so she wanted to leave the school for her sake. "I'm going to the bathroom." This gave her the perfect opportunity to leave school.

Once she was far enough away, she texted Lily, "Tell me if you need anything."


	7. A New Life

The last thing Lily remembered was bolting out of the classroom and shifting into her cheetah form. She was trying to escape the unrelenting agony she was feeling. Now, she was in the principal’s office on a couch. The principal was looking over her intently.

"Are you alright, Miss? What are you doing here?" the principal said.

"I don't remember," Lily lied, thinking it was the best way to solve her situation. Back then, she shifted forms because of the overwhelming agony she experienced. At least the pain was gone for now. "Where is the nearest hospital? I don't feel so well." It wasn't that she needed to go to the hospital, but it would allow her to get away from her current situation.

"Do you need us to call an ambulance?"

"No, I'll be fine. Thank you."

The principal gave her directions and let her walk away.

She made her way back home. It would be easier to explain her absence that way compared to if she went back to school and had to enter from the principal's office since it was well into the school day.

On the way back, she checked her text messages, Gabrielle left school because she was concerned about her. While composing a response, she heard a scream of agony. Wasting no time, she rushed towards the source in an alley. A group of predators were beating up a bunny kit.

"What do you all think you're doing?" Lily said in her cheetah form.

They scampered away without putting up a fight.

"Are you okay?" she asked. The grey bunny had several bruises on her cheek and appeared to be about eight years old. "What happened?"

"My family doesn't want me," the rabbit sobbed.

Something tragic provided such nourishment for her. It was superb even though she had no control over the emotions she consumed. "What do you plan to do now?" Lily asked.

"Can I live with you?"

"Yes," she said without thinking. The taste of emotions clouded her judgment.

"What's your name?"

"Buttercream Hopps."

"I'm Lily." She knew the Hopps were famous in a sense since that's where Judy Hopps came from. It was also unlikely that they cast someone out of their family. "Are you sure your family doesn't want you?"

"They set up the trap. Don't send me back." Buttercream sounded desperate, and that seemed to make her emotions taste all the sweeter.

"It's going to be okay. Come with me." She led the bunny to her home.

"Wow!" Buttercream exclaimed. "You live here?"

"Make yourself at home." Lily wondered how she should deal with Gabrielle now. Since she discovered a new source of food, there was no need to pretend to be a student at a high school anymore. Maybe it was best if she ignored it. It would be too awkward to explain her current situation anyway. If she ignored Gabrielle, Gabrielle should go away.

Unfortunately, as the concerned friend Gabrielle was, she came to her mansion unexpectedly. "Are you okay?" She was here, not even by the gate or anything. The door was open and she waltzed right in. The problem was that Lily was with Buttercream.

"More than okay," Lily replied, thinking of the best way to send Gabrielle away.

"Who is this?" Buttercream gestured towards Gabrielle.

"I'm her friend. Can I talk to you, alone?" Gabrielle asked.

"Sure." Lily thought with any luck, they could come to a mutual understanding where she would leave. "We'll be right back."

They walked far enough way that Buttercream wouldn't hear them talk.

"So, why are you in your cheetah form? And who is she?"

Lily thought of the best way to explain her situation. Buttercream was someone she saved that wanted to live with her, and she decided to move on from being a student. "It's complicated."

"Well, we have time. Do you know how worried I was when you didn't send any text messages? Especially since you were unconscious in your cheetah form?"

"I'm sorry. I was busy."

"With? Something to let me know that you're okay would've been nice. Instead, I find you here in your cheetah form with a bunny kit. What happened?"

Lily told the truth since she didn't want to dispose of Gabrielle if she could avoid it even though it seemed inevitable. "Well, I had to escape from school, then on the way home, I heard mammals picking on this bunny kit. I saved her and she wants to live with me. I'm also done being Lily the rabbit." She noticed that her friend's fur started bristling partway through the explanation.

Gabrielle shot her a furious look. "I suppose that also means you haven't apologized for your actions towards George. I'm also going to guess that the kit's family doesn't know that she's living here."

"Well, she is running away. Her family doesn't want her. Just for you, I will apologize to George as Lily the rabbit. Is this good enough? We can even go right now."

"Are you sure the kit wants this?"

"Yes."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Sure, her name's Buttercream. You'll see that she's perfectly willing."

"Fine, wait here." Gabrielle walked away.

Lily wondered if it was a mistake to trust Gabrielle. There was a chance she could try to run away with Buttercream. Gabrielle was her friend, but she could tell that Gabrielle was uneasy about the situation. Maybe she needed to dispose of her friend to prevent complications. It shouldn't be too hard to hide it from Buttercream yet she was somewhat reluctant to act on the impulse of killing Gabrielle. After all, Gabrielle cared about her and was one of her food sources.

It was a long and agonizing wait, hoping that her friend didn't run away with Buttercream. She wasn't ready to end their relationship yet even though it would've been practical to do so. Regrets and hopes preventing her from killing Gabrielle in cold blood. A part of her dared to believe that everything would work out just fine. She also wasn't sure how long Buttercream would remain a viable food source so alternatives were always good.

After what seemed like forever, Gabrielle returned here with Buttercream. "Fine, I'll keep this secret for now."

"You mean I'll get to stay?"

"Of course!" Lily exclaimed.

"Don't forget what you need to do by Friday at the latest," Gabrielle said. "I won't forgive you if you don't."

"It'll be fine," Lily said. There was plenty of time within the week where she could apologize to George for her actions. Part of her wondered how much Gabrielle revealed to Buttercream, but the kit didn't seem any different. The taste of her emotions improved slightly.

Her troubles could wait for another time, she could play with the kit now since Gabrielle left.


	8. Apology

A promise made was something she couldn't break as long as she believed it to be one. Demons were bound by promises they held as important, and so Lily had to apologize to George before the deadline.

Lily was spending time with Buttercream for the past three days, acting as a parent. She had yet to reveal her shapeshifting powers nor inform Buttercream what she truly was. There was no need for that, Buttercream was feeding her plenty with the emotions she radiated. The deadline for the apology she needed to make loomed.

"I'll be back soon, okay?" Lily said as they were watching television. Buttercream was sitting in her lap as the cartoons played.

"What did I do wrong?" Buttercream cried. "I'll change."

"I have something I need to do."

"Take me with you!" The kit was desperate but Lily didn't feel comfortable revealing the truth about her powers yet. She saved the bunny, but there were limits.

"Look, just keep watching television, I'll be back before you know it, okay?" Lily gently moved Buttercream aside.

Buttercream gripped Lily's leg with all her might. "No!" she shouted.

Lily debated her next course of action. She had to leave and didn't want to take Buttercream with her, but there seemed to be no easy way to do that. Any actions she took would likely lead to a sense of guilt and some physical pain.

"I can't take you there, but do you want to come in the car with me?" Lily offered an option she really didn't want Buttercream to take. "You'll need to wait a few hours in the car."

"Sure!" Buttercream gleamed.

Lily regretted making the offer, leaving Buttercream alone in the car for a few hours unattended wasn't ideal at all. At least, she was able to leave the house without feeling an extreme sense of guilt. She drove towards George's house and kept in mind that she had to stop some distance away since she had to shapeshift back into a rabbit.

Two blocks away from George's house she parked on the side of the road.

"Just wait here, okay?" Lily asked.

"Sure," Buttercream said.

Lily didn't detect any anxiety from Buttercream, she set off. She ran past a few houses while noticing the missing mammal poster for Buttercream, her family was looking for her. This was a risk but she couldn't turn back now. Once she was a block away, she looked around her to make sure no one saw her. She shifted into a rabbit before finishing the rest of the journey.

Her mind pondered on the best way to apologize for what she did. "Sorry, I made up a lie about you at school and ruined your day?" That was what happened but it didn't sound right. "My friend wanted me to apologize, so here I am." Yet another one that wouldn't work.

By the time she reached the house, her mind was still debating what to say.

"Allow me to apologize for my son's actions," George's mother said. "I should've been a better parent."

Lily froze in her tracks. She didn't expect George's mother to greet her with an apology. If she hadn't made the promise to Gabrielle, she would've let the lie live on, but since she did, she had to set the record straight.

"Can I come inside?" Lily asked since it was the first response that came to mind.

"Sure, we're having dinner soon, why don't you join us?"

She walked inside. Unfortunately, George was home as well.

"What is she doing here?" George asked venomously.

"You will apologize to her." George's mother glared at her son.

Lily saw the harsh glare, and it was now or never. "Actually, I'm the one at fault. I told a lie that day at school, and it went out of control. I came here because my friend guilted me into it. I'm sorry for what I did." She didn't care about apologizing, but she did care about preserving her friendship with her friend.

"I probably deserved it," George said. "Mom, can I go back to that school now?"

"You were telling the truth," her mother said with surprise. "I hope you learned your lesson."

"I did. Lily, why did you do that?"

"It's complicated, okay?" Lily said. She wasn't about to reveal her demonic nature to this family and there was no way she could explain otherwise. Lying was the only option, one more lie in a form she wouldn't use anymore wouldn't hurt. "What I did back then was wrong or so my friend made me realize. I read something online about popularity, and I wanted to try it. It did work, but my friend wasn't happy at all. I won't do something like this again. Her friendship means a lot to me."

"Stay for dinner, won't you?"

Lily had reservations since she had to return to Buttercream, but she instinctively agreed. It was better for her present situation even though it would make the future more complicated. "Sure." Even though they were a family of foxes, she noted that George was eating vegetables while her mother and father were eating bug meat.

Over dinner, George's father asked, "Can you help tutor my son?"

The emotions Lily consumed lead her to agree. "Sure, we can work something out." As soon as she said that, she regretted it because that meant more time spent in this form, but there was no turning back.

They talked about scheduling her visits and sessions and before she knew it, it was eight. A sudden realization that Buttercream was alone in the car unattended reminded her that she had to leave. "I need to go home; my parents will be worried. We can talk tomorrow."

"We can drive you home," George's mother offered.

Lily shook her head. "I need the exercise, cya!" Time was short so she broke into a run, once she was far enough away from prying eyes, she shifted into her cheetah form. She made a mad dash to the car. Three hours passed since she left Buttercream alone in the car.

Buttercream was gone.


	9. Frantic Search

Lily quickly scoured the surrounding area for Buttercream. There was no trace of her at all. At least, the car wasn't damaged so she must've left on her own. It was her fault for leaving Buttercream unattended for so long. If she revealed her supernatural talents, she might've been able to bring Buttercream along instead of frantically searching for the missing kit.

It was night time so she shifted into the form of a wolf, taking advantage of their superior night vision and sense of smell. She sniffed the air. That was when she realized the fatal flaw in her plan: she didn't really know what Buttercream smelled like. What was she going to do now? It's not like just asking random mammals would do any good since there were missing mammal posters out for Buttercream. The multitude of scents she could smell didn't seem important.

She walked around aimlessly trying to think of a way to find Buttercream. If someone found Buttercream they would likely return her to the Hopps family and then the kit would probably run away again. Although, since it was late, they'd probably let Buttercream stay for the night. Her best chance was to search nearby.

There was no way she could ask the mammals that lived nearby since they wouldn't give Buttercream to her. If she was going to find Buttercream, she had to do it alone. She used her powers to shift into a spider just to test if she still could then immediately shift back. With so much ground to cover, a spider was ineffective for traveling.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. She shifted back to a rabbit since it was the form she was most used to recently. Next, she invoked her demonic powers to grant her wings. It was risky since someone could see her. The buildings she wanted to enter had windows so she flew to the highest one and broke in by shifting to a tiger once she was certain that the room was empty. A tiger would be far too large to remain inconspicuous so she made another high-risk move by shifting into a spider. She had to remain out of sight in this form since it was easy for anyone to squash her. An untimely death should send her back into the fiery pit of eternal torment.

Her heart trembled when a mammal came to investigate the disturbance. The elk was looking around for an intruder since the window was in pieces. She ventured deeper into the house, hoping to find Buttercream. After she was certain that Buttercream wasn't there, she left.

It took her an hour to search three houses while remaining undetected. She had to find Buttercream no matter how long it took. Time was running out since every passing second meant that it was more likely for someone to return Buttercream to her family.

With each house, her hope dwindled that Buttercream was nearby. It was her fault for leaving Buttercream unattended in the car for three hours. She should've been honest with the kit and explained her current situation, but at the time she wasn't willing to risk changing their relationship.

She was in the air, about to break into yet another home when she heard sirens. Apparently, her activities resulted in someone calling the police. The police weren't on her side since if they found Buttercream, they would return her to the Hopps family.

By the seventh home, she was losing faith. Just like before, she shifted into a tiger to break in and then into a spider to remain undetected. A wolf came to check out the noise which she eluded just like all the others. Every room she searched so far was empty, but she proceeded methodically anyways. At last, she found Buttercream in the basement. Instinctively, she yelled, "Buttercream!"

"Who's there?" Buttercream whimpered, she sounded afraid.

From her vantage point as a spider in the air, she saw that someone strapped Buttercream in a chair in front of a television. Buttercream had her eyes forced open by nearby equipment. The device forced her to look at a television screen. It seemed that her tears have run dry.

Once she looked at the television screen, she saw that it was playing illegal videos featuring abuse of kits. "Get this nice and slick, you know where it's going." This made her regret her actions all the more. It was her fault that Buttercream ended up in this situation.

"It's me, Lily," she said. "What happened?"

"Where are you?"

"Right here."

"I need to wake up."

"I'll save you." Lily shifted into a cheetah. She undid Buttercream's restraints slowly to not hurt the rabbit. "I'm so sorry."

The wolf eventually found his way down to the basement. "How did you get in here?" the wolf yelled.

"I'm taking her home," Lily said. "Be thankful that I don't do something worse."

"Toys don't talk without permission." The wolf lunged at her suddenly. She screamed in pain as the wolf bit her shoulder. "Let's get you set up. I love it when the struggle. Give up and the pain will go away."

"Stop! You win," Lily said.

The moment the wolf let up she shifted into a tiger. She easily overwhelmed the wolf with a single swipe of her claws. "You were saying?"

"You're not normal. You monster! Help someone, help!" the wolf yelled when Lily's paws were around his throat.

"No one's coming to save you."

"ZPD! Open up!"

Lily heard from above.

"Help!" the wolf cried again.

The police wasted no time in breaking the door down.

Lily had to decide what to do, and time was running short. "Buttercream, we'll meet later, okay?"

"Don't leave me," Buttercream said.

Lily tossed the wolf aside. He landed on the floor against the wall and was in no condition to move. She shifted into a spider once more. "I'll stay with you," she said. "It's going to be okay."

She walked on top of Buttercream's head. "That tickles," Buttercream said.

Nick and Judy arrived in the basement.

"Buttercream!" Judy exclaimed. "What happened to you?"

"Send an ambulance. This wolf needs help," Nick dialed in. "What do you think happened here, Carrots?"

"We'll figure it out later. We need to get Buttercream back home. Call for backup."

Lily hoped that no one would crush her as she tried to hide in Buttercream's head fur.


	10. Unfortunate Reunion

Every single moment was terrifying with a chance of death. Lily was a tiny spider on Buttercream's head since the kit had abandonment issues. It was too late for her to turn back now since her demonic nature wouldn't allow her to leave unless Buttercream permitted it.

They were in the car with Nick and Judy.

"We were so worried about you," Judy said as she drove. "Mom placed posters all over Bunnyburrow. Are you okay?"

Buttercream laughed. "What a joke. She spares me a moment then tries to forget that I even exist. None of you care about me."

"I care about you. I'm sure mother does too."

"Not that it matters much since you live in Zootopia. You don't even know what your siblings are like."

"Do you want to go home?" Nick asked.

"Do I have a choice?" Buttercream said.

"Nick! Don't give her ideas!" Judy said.

"What I didn't even say anything," Nick said as the car swerved violently to avoid a parked car. "Focus on driving!"

"Let's talk after. That was close." Judy panted.

The rest of the trip proceeded in silence. Buttercream whispered as softly as possible. "Thank you for staying with me."

Lily felt as if she was stronger than ever before as she consumed the incoming emotions. She didn't dare reply for fear of alerting Nick or Judy.

They finally arrived at the Hopps Family Farm.

"Buttercream." Bonnie run towards her with open arms. "I was so worried about you. Are you hurt?"

"Stop that, Mom," Buttercream said. "I'm fine. I just need some time to myself." She walked into the burrow to her room while trying to ignore all her cheerful siblings. Lily thought that a rabbit might crush her accidentally. Buttercream's siblings were overly affectionate.

Once she arrived in her dusty room, she said, "Lily, are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

"I'm fine, was rather scary though." Lily looked around the room. It looked just like the rooms of one of the poor kits she saw in the past. There was nothing extraordinary.

"Can you stay here until I find a way to leave? I'm worried that you might get crushed if you stay on me."

"It's my fault that you got caught by the wolf in the first place. I'm sorry for what happened. He didn't do anything, did he?"

"He was going to tomorrow."

"Can I come in?" Judy knocked on the door.

Lily skittered off Buttercream. She went on top of the bookshelf.

"No," Buttercream said. Once she heard Judy walk away, she said, "She's just going to try to convince me why my siblings care about me."

Moments later, Nick knocked on the door with the same request.

"Who were you talking to?" Nick asked as he walked into the room. He sat on the bed.

"Li-Billy he's a tiger." Buttercream picked up her stuffed tiger from the bed.

"I want to know more about him."

"Billy keeps me safe from evil rabbits. He doesn't hesitate to use his sharp fangs or claws, that's why they're red."

"Where do evil rabbits live?"

"I'm surrounded by them. Billy needs lots of rest so he doesn't move much."

"I see. Are there any here now?" Nick looked around the room.

"Just walk outside this room, it won't take long to find one."

"Why do you hate your family?"

"They don't love me. Mom turns a blind eye long enough for them to tease me. After all, she ran out of names and named me after food. Everyone is _too nice_ to do what they do. She doesn't even believe me!"

"Do you want to tell me what happened? You were missing for three days."

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"Are you hurt?"

Buttercream shook her head.

"Do you want to talk about anything?"

She shook her head again.

"Call me, if you need me. I'll give you a cell phone you can use," Nick said. "I'll be back." He walked out of the door.

She waited until she heard Nick walk away. "Lily, are you still here?"

"Yes," Lily replied.

"I'm sorry I nearly gave away your name. That story was the best I could think of."

"It's okay. They can't do much with it." Lily wanted to try something since it popped into her mind and she felt stronger than ever. In the past, she was only able to animate stuff while controlling them directly. This time she felt as if she could bring Buttercream's imagination to life. It was such a wild idea that her curiosity caused her to proceed. Carefully, she approached the stuffed tiger that Buttercream was holding. The stuffed animal talked as she used her powers of its own will.

"Buttercream," the living tiger said.

Buttercream screamed. She threw the tiger against the wall.

"Ow," the tiger complained.

Lily tried to stop her powers and the tiger became dormant again. "Sorry, I just wanted to try it."

"I was surprised. Can you do that again?"

Lily tried to invoke her powers once more. "Sorry, my powers aren't working."

"Buttercream." Bonnie rushed into the room. "What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Mom." Buttercream sounded annoyed. "The only reason you pretend to care is that sometimes you feel guilty. You wish that I didn't exist."

"Oh, thank goodness. What gave you that idea?"

"Oh, I don't know, how about every single time I tell you something, you always say that they're too nice to do that. Just leave me alone, will you?"

"I never realized…" Bonnie walked out of the room dejectedly.

Not even two minutes later, Nick came back. "Can I come in? I heard that conversation."

"Fine," Buttercream said.

Nick remained outside. "You don't need to say yes. I can come back later."

"It's okay."

Nick entered the room. "Here's the cell phone I promised. You can use it to call me." He placed his paw between her ears. "So, what caused you to scream?"

"Billy surprised me, that's all."

"What did he do?"

"He talked when I thought he was asleep."

"Can he talk now?"

"Come on, say something," Buttercream said to the stuffed tiger.

"You're welcome, Billy." Nick shook the stuffed tiger's paw. "Glad to see you're doing fine. Call me if you need anything." Nick walked out of the room, leaving Buttercream alone with Lily.

"Lily?" Buttercream said.

"Yes?"

"What do you think is going to happen?"

"I don't know, but I'll be there for you."


End file.
